Hero (6)
By the time Alberto rushed into the audience chamber, a man who looked like a mercenary was shouting at his father.
"So you're saying you won't pay up? You should have raised your son right! We took the commission, completed it, and now you're refusing the payment—what kind of nonsense is this?!"
Cross's voice boomed loud enough to fill the entire chamber.
The surrounding retainers and knights watched the scene with tense expressions.
"Haha... calm down first. Didn't I say I'd summon my son and hear the full story before judging?"
King Rodric of Elterion wiped cold sweat from his brow, struggling to maintain his composure.
"What, so you're calling me a liar?"
Cross's eyes turned icy cold.
An invisible pressure radiated from him, making the air in the chamber grow heavy.
"That's not it... It's just to make a fair judgment. I'm not doubting you at all."
Alberto was baffled as to why his father was groveling before some lowly mercenary, but he approached anyway.
"Father."
His father and the mercenary's gazes turned to him simultaneously.
"Oh! Yes, Alberto. Come here quickly. I want you to hear what this mercenary has to say too."
"Yes."
"You?"
Cross scanned Alberto up and down as he approached.
"You look perfectly fine, yet you stiff the mercenaries on payment... The kingdom's future is looking bleak."
The chamber's atmosphere froze in an instant at Cross's cynical remark.
Truth be told, it was absurd for a mercenary to barge into the royal castle and berate the king over unpaid fees. And now, insulting Alberto, the kingdom's sole heir...
This was outright treason.
"What did you say? How dare you...!"
Alberto's face flushed with rage at the massive insult, but Rodric's hand stopped him.
'Why on earth...?'
Following his father's gaze in confusion, Alberto spotted a woman about his age and the knights guarding her.
Now he saw it—his father's eyes weren't on the mercenary but fixed on those people behind him the whole time.
'Who the hell are they...?'
"Where are you looking?"
Cross's sharp voice snapped Alberto back. He turned to the mercenary first, gathering his thoughts.
'It makes no sense for Father to cower before a single mercenary.'
A Diamond-grade mercenary might warrant that kind of reaction due to their power.
But according to the intel Alberto had before assigning the commission, this guy was a Gold-grade who'd only recently become a mercenary...
Sure, he'd rocketed up in a month, marking him as a promising talent, but even that didn't justify his father's behavior.
Elterion Kingdom wasn't that weak.
'Which means those knights and that woman must have the power to sway the entire kingdom.'
His father was cowering not because of the mercenary, but because they were companions.
Alberto grasped the situation in a flash and shifted his attitude completely.
"Mercenary... no, Sir Cross, was it? It seems there was a misunderstanding. I was absolutely preparing the payment. It was just a communication issue with the mercenary guild..."
"Pfft, hahaha! A communication issue? That's hilarious."
Cross sneered, crossing his arms.
"I was worried since this is my homeland, but it won't fall just yet. Quick on the uptake... Pay up, and I'll leave quietly."
Alberto clenched his fists, trembling with fury at Cross's words,
but without knowing the identity of that group, he couldn't act rashly.
"One moment, please."
Then, the quiet woman from the group spoke in a calm voice, and they began approaching slowly.
The crest on the armor of the knights protecting the woman came into view...
'That's...!'
Only then did Alberto understand why his father was so intimidated.
They were members of the Holy Church, under the protection of the Lunaria Empire and possessing immense martial might in their own right.
'Why is the Church here...?'
"Allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Sera. I've come to Elterion Kingdom on official business from the Church. First, this letter..."
Official Letter from the Holy Church
Sealed with the Church's insignia
Rodric's face brightened as he read the letter.
"Does this mean our kingdom has...?"
"Yes. The Pope received a revelation that a hero of Elterion Kingdom exists, and we've already confirmed it."
"Ooh! Already confirmed... As expected of the Church."
Rodric's reaction was natural.
A Church-recognized hero emerging in his kingdom meant a boost to national power.
"And the hero is Sir Cross, right beside me."
But Sera's next words left both Rodric and Alberto stunned.
The letter slipping from Rodric's hand showed the depth of their shock.
"I told you before. I'm no hero—just a mercenary."
Cross said irritably.
"No, Sir Cross. You are definitely the hero."
Rodric and Alberto's minds raced even faster at Sera's firm tone.
'I can't believe that mercenary is the hero, but since the Church has declared it, they won't back down. So...'
Clap, clap, clap.
"Indeed! I thought he had incredible talent when he reached Gold-grade in just a month, but a hero... Truly amazing. It's a blessing for our kingdom. Isn't it, Father?"
Alberto forced applause as he spoke.
"Mm, ah! Yes, yes. That's right. We'll prepare Mercenary—no, Hero Cross's payment right now. Take it. And we'll include ample compensation for our mistake. You there! Prepare it immediately!"
Moments later, a servant brought a sack full of gold and handed it to Cross.
Cross opened the sack, checked the gold, and nodded in satisfaction.
"Good. This'll do. I'm heading out."
Cross turned to leave but paused, looking back at Alberto.
"Oh, Alberto. Seems like you've got a lot to hide... Keep it well concealed."
His words carried deep meaning, and the corner of his mouth curled up slightly.
His gaze pierced like he knew everything.
As Cross walked away, Alberto's eyes wavered.
'Does he... know everything?'
Sera politely bid Rodric farewell and left, followed by the holy knights.
"Then we'll take our leave."
"Ah, yes... Thank you for your efforts."
Rodric replied awkwardly.
Once the Church group had fully departed, a heavy silence fell over the chamber.
Cold sweat trickled down Alberto's back.
Cross's final words echoed endlessly in his mind.
"Son..."
Rodric called cautiously to Alberto.
"What did that mercenary—no, hero—mean by his last words? Something you're hiding...?"
Alberto avoided his father's gaze, unable to respond.
His mind churned endlessly with options.
'What do I do... Kill him? But harming the Church... No, even if I kill him without touching them, a Church-recognized hero dying in the kingdom would cause massive backlash.'
Alberto's already pale face grew even whiter.
'Besides, that mercenary... Cross definitely knows something. It wasn't a guess—those were eyes full of certainty. If I make a move...'
"Alberto!"
Rodric's voice grew firmer.
"Are you hiding something from your father? Explain why that hero said such a thing."
After a brief silence, Alberto forced a smile.
"Ah... It's probably because we delayed the guild payment a bit. It's nothing, Father."
But his voice trembled.
Rodric sensed something off in his son's reaction but didn't press further.
Pow! Pow! Pow! Pow! Pow! Pow!!!!
"Good! Put more power into your back foot to brace! Your power's scattering every time you punch—look at how you're shifting!"
On Frostheim's training grounds, the Bai Ling Regiment knights summoned by Ria and Baekseol were drilling hard.
"Haat!"
"As expected of Lady Ria—you spot it right away!"
Shouts and the thud of fists filled the grounds.
Baekseol watched it all quietly.
'Her growth rate is even better than I thought.'
Ria had mastered controlling negative emotions with her Demon Eye, turning them into her own power.
Baekseol knew nothing more about the Demon Eye herself, so training now focused on perfecting physical combat skills.
Whether the Demon Eye aided physical fights too, Ria had already surpassed beginner martial arts and was eyeing intermediate.
As Baekseol continued observing Ria's training, she sensed a new presence.
'This is...'
Baekseol's nose twitched like a puppy's, her nine tails swishing.
'Astra!'
Her white ears perked up slightly, eyes sparkling.
"Ria, pause training for a moment."
"Pardon? What's wrong?"
"Astra's back."
With that, Baekseol left the grounds first and spotted Astra approaching slowly from afar.
Astra strode elegantly across Frostheim's white snowfields.